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He pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder and use of a gun in a violent crime in connection with Williams’ death.

Federal prosecutors asked for a 33-year sentence, which was higher than Schlenker’s standard range, the high end of which was 27 years, six months.

“It was his choice to drink all of that alcohol,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Cohen said in court. “... It was also his choice to carry a loaded gun with him that night.”

Cohen said Schlenker previously assaulted his grandmother and girlfriend after bouts of drinking and, shortly before shooting Williams, pointed the gun at several other people.

Schlenker boxed in Williams’ car for no apparent reason outside the casino. Williams got out of the car and Schlenker attacked him.

“The defendant was looking to shoot someone that night,” Cohen said. “... His violence was clearly escalating over the course of the evening.”

Defense attorney Miriam Schwartz said Schlenker suffers from paranoia, at times hears voices and the night he killed Williams “he believed in his mind that he was about to get shot, and he instantaneously pulled the trigger.”

The victim’s mother, Jae Jae Williams, said her son had 10 nieces and nephews, and had wanted to have children of his own one day.

“Every single one of them he played with and loved,” she told the court.

She said he was shot trying to protect his friends from Schlenker.

“Brandon protected everyone he came into contact with,” she said. “In our eyes, Brandon was a hero.”

One of his brothers, Rubin Julian Hernandez Williams, told the court: “We’re just all going to have to learn from our mistakes. There’s enough hate in this world. It all just needs to stop.”